Housing for families is
at a crisis in Fauquier County. There has been little or no family
housing for under $150,000 constructed in Fauquier County for four or
more years. The average cost of housing in Fauquier County is now
$400,000 or more. Taxes have just gone up 35% or more due to growth.
However, nearly all growth has been for expensive homes. The family
must pay the tax burden for the growth but has no part in it.

The Family Dwelling Unit
zoning provision is an existing solution to this problem. However, the
current ordinance creates hardships on the family. It is patently
unfair to impose severe restrictions on the Fauquier Family that do not
exist for the new developments. New developments and family home
construction all accomplish the same thing: homes for people to live
in. We want the playing field to be slightly more equal.

Families come in
different sizes. The Uniform Building Code regulates occupancies. We
are proposing that the Family Dwelling Unit be modified to retain the
family restriction but leave occupancy regulation to the Uniform
Building Code.

Additionally, we need a
little more square footage. There is no prevailing community need to
severely restrict square footage. Furthermore, we need to remove the
arbitrary inclusion of porch space as interior space by the Zoning
Administrator.

Finally, there is no
compelling community need to reduce the economic value of our property
when we want to take care of family. Prior to current revisions, there
was a two year economic restriction imposed on the family property. I
am proposing that we return to the two year period.

Attached is our proposed
zoning ordinance text amendment and the associated $500 processing fee.
There is widespread community support for these proposed changes.